Corpus Christi Church (New York City)
Encyclopedia
The Church of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
, located at 533-535 West 121st Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan
, New York City
. The parish was established in 1906.
of Main Street, Yonkers, New York
, for $45,000. The structure was a five-bay three-storey Beaux-arts brick school house with a stone-quoined breakfront occupying the central three bays that contained a temporary church and rectory. The new church, school, and rectory cornerstone was laid on November 11, 1906 and the structure was dedicated June 30, 1907 by Archbishop John Farley.
These buildings were replaced in 1930 with a new church and rectory built 1930 to the designs by Thomas Dunn
and Frederick E. Gibson
. The current church, school, and convent were dedicated on October 25, 1936. The church was designed in 1935 by Wilfred E. Anthony. The current baptistery survives from F. A. de Meuron
's original 1906 church.
Although the classical exterior of the church is not prepossessing, the interior is widely admired. Time Out New York calls it "gorgeous," while the AIA Guide to NYC urges passersby to enter and admire a sanctuary that looks as though it was designed by a disciple of Sir Christopher Wren
.
The parish school opened in September 1907, staffed by the Sisters of Charity of New York
. The Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin were welcomed to the school in 1936.
was baptized at Corpus Christi Church and received Holy Communion.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
, located at 533-535 West 121st Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The parish was established in 1906.
Buildings
The church was built in 1906-1907 as a brick and stone chapel and three-storey parish house, all over basement, to designs of F. A. de MeuronF. A. de Meuron
F. A. de Meuron, AIA, was an American architect practicing in Yonkers, New York and later New York City in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. His main client was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for which he designed a number of ecclesiastical structures. He is best known as...
of Main Street, Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
, for $45,000. The structure was a five-bay three-storey Beaux-arts brick school house with a stone-quoined breakfront occupying the central three bays that contained a temporary church and rectory. The new church, school, and rectory cornerstone was laid on November 11, 1906 and the structure was dedicated June 30, 1907 by Archbishop John Farley.
These buildings were replaced in 1930 with a new church and rectory built 1930 to the designs by Thomas Dunn
Thomas Dunn
Thomas Dunn was Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada from 1805 to 1807.He was born in Durham, England and came to the town of Quebec shortly after its surrender in 1760. With his partner John Gray, he obtained the trading lease to the king's posts, which gave them a monopoly in the fur trade and...
and Frederick E. Gibson
Frederick E. Gibson
Frederick E. Gibson is a judge currently serving on the Federal Court of Canada.-References:...
. The current church, school, and convent were dedicated on October 25, 1936. The church was designed in 1935 by Wilfred E. Anthony. The current baptistery survives from F. A. de Meuron
F. A. de Meuron
F. A. de Meuron, AIA, was an American architect practicing in Yonkers, New York and later New York City in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. His main client was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for which he designed a number of ecclesiastical structures. He is best known as...
's original 1906 church.
Although the classical exterior of the church is not prepossessing, the interior is widely admired. Time Out New York calls it "gorgeous," while the AIA Guide to NYC urges passersby to enter and admire a sanctuary that looks as though it was designed by a disciple of Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
.
The parish school opened in September 1907, staffed by the Sisters of Charity of New York
Sisters of Charity of New York
The Sisters of Charity of New York is a religious congregation of women in the Catholic Church whose primary missions are education and nursing and who are dedicated in particular to the service of the poor.-History:...
. The Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin were welcomed to the school in 1936.
Notable events
On November 16, 1938, Thomas MertonThomas Merton
Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
was baptized at Corpus Christi Church and received Holy Communion.
Further reading
- Flegenheimer, Matt, "‘Carlin Street’ Resisted by His Old Church. Was It Something He Said?", The New York Times, October 25, 2011